Just Tell Me
by aleey
Summary: Lane and Zack both refuse to admit the truth. Thankfully, they have Rory to push them. One-Shot. LZ.


Author: **Masqued.**

Title: **Just Tell Me**

Summary: **Lane and Zack both refuse to admit the truth. Thankfully, they have Rory to push them. One-Shot. L/Z.**

Rating: **PG**

Disclaimer: **Sorry all. I do not own Gilmore Girls, nor do I own Zack or Lane. I simply own the plot of this sorry excuse for a story. So, please, no stealing. Thank you.**

_"There is no remedy for love but to love more."_

Henry David Thoreau

**(1817 - 1862)**

Love was always such a big word. A scary word. A word that usually meant commitment, and flowers, and chocolates, and _talking_ out the relationship. Love went passed the call of simply physical attraction and passed the ridiculous, unimportant and impulsive motive of lust. Love was truth, compassion, companionship and friendship. Love contained so many different components that all just took too much time to care for. That's why love is a scary thing to some people. To be quite honest, love is a scary thing to most people. One of those people was Zack.

Zack had never really cared much for having a real relationship. He was content with groupie-like women that flaunted themselves at him because of his good looks. He was usually used to scanty women that wore less on their bodies then would be considerably decent. But Lane Kim was something totally different. Lane didn't like him because he was in a band, or because he was simply good looking. She liked his personality. She also liked to talk to him, find out how he was doing, the entire bit.

Lane wasn't like Zack. But Zack didn't care, as long as he got to kiss Lane. As long as Lane was in his arms, he could care less about the feelings he was trying to suppress. But, unfortunately for Zack, feelings are hard to keep inside, especially for someone that cared about him the same exact way. Zack was, to say the least, frightened of his feelings, and didn't want to have to think about what they could truthfully mean when it concerned Lane.

"Zack?" Zack's head lifted quickly as he looked up to his girlfriend and the rest of his band members.

"Yeah, sorry." His attention dissipated as he looked back down to his guitar, strumming his fingers over the thick strings repeatedly. Lane's eyes traveled from Zack's unresponsive form to the other two members of her band. Both returned nervous glances and then looked to one another.

"Uh, all right guys, lets take five." Lane decided and the other two nodded, taking the straps of their instruments from their shoulders and then wandered out of the room to give Lane some alone time with Zack. "Zack, is something wrong?" She asked plopping down onto the stool next to the one he was sitting on.

"No, why?" He asked, avoiding a glance to Lane.

"I don't know. Maybe because you haven't made any smart remarks nor have you been to enthusiastic. Are you sure you're all right?" He nodded his head, still looking away. Reluctantly, Lane stood to her feet. "All right… but remember… you can always talk to me."

Of course he could always talk to her. Talking was just what Lane did. But that's what Zack was so scared of at the moment – talking. He was afraid of what he might say. Of how she would react to what he would say.

Zack's lazy glance rested on her retreating figure. Against his better judgment, Zack's lips split open and he found himself speaking.

"Lane, you don't want to be romanced like in all of those girly chick-flicks, do you?" Lane turned at the doorway, resting against the frame, head cocked to the side.

"Have I ever?" She smirked at him then turned her back to him again, exiting the rest of the way from their practicing room. Zack's own face contained a wild grin.

There was an answer to one of the questions Zack wanted to ask. But it still left one important question burning in his mind. And as such, the blond nervously jittered about the room; thinking over what it was that was going on in his head – what it was that was controlling his mind.

>>

"Uh, Zack?" Rory pulled her door open wider so the blond could walk in.

"Rory, I need your advice." Rory looked shiftily from side to side, glancing at the now empty doorway, and then shut the door.

"All right-"

"It's about Lane." Rory froze and leaned against the door.

"What's wrong with Lane?" She asked immediately. Zack held his hands up for her to calm down and sat down nervously on the stairwell.

"Rory, I'm scared." Rory was now beginning to feel nervous and sat on the steps next to Zack.

"Zack, just tell me what's wrong." Zack refused to look up. How was he going to say something like this? How was he going to just openly tell his girlfriends best friend the truth about how he felt? "Zack… If something's wrong with Lane-"

"No, nothing's wrong with Lane. It's me." Rory's back arched as she sat up straighter.

"What do you mean?" He slumped down into his arms.

"Rory, I think I love her…" A sigh of relief sifted from Rory's lips.

"And you had me worrying that something was wrong…" She chuckled, receiving a dark glare from Zack.

"Rory, something _is_ wrong. I've never _loved_ anyone before. That just doesn't happen. I don't love people. People aren't supposed to like my personality… girls aren't supposed to want to _be_ with me." Rory laughed again and cupped Zack's shoulder with her hand.

"Zack, you love Lane. There's no doubting that." Zack shuddered and leaned against the banister.

"You don't understand!" He stood to his feet nervously. "I don't _love_ people. I never have _loved_ a girl. With Lane, it's like… I actually want to know who she is." Rory chuckled again. "I shouldn't have come here…"

Rory stood to her feet and dragged Zack back to the stairs.

"Zack, no, don't go. Listen to me. You love Lane." Zack sighed.

"I'm glad we've accomplished something so far." Rory gave him a short glare, and then continued.

"You have to let her know." Zack sighed.

"No. I can't. I have to… I have to break-up with her." He began to move around the room, scared.

"Zack, what's that going to do? You'll still love her. You have to tell her." Zack glared at Rory.

"No! I can't. Love is bad. This is too scary. I'm not ready for this. Love isn't meant for me, Rory." Rory slumped onto her stairs.

"You can't break up with her." Zack nodded his head.

"I have to."

"Why?" Zack leaned against the doorway.

"Because I love her, and I can't do that.And that's not good." Rory sighed as Zack left without another word.

>>

"Zack? What are you doing?" Lane placed her bag into the chair next to her and leaned against the table.

"I'm making us something to eat…" He muttered, slamming freezer-burned fish sticks against the counter in an attempt to break them apart. Remnants of ice and breading from the fish sticks flew into the air and swarmed their way over the counter.

"Uh, I have French fries and a few burgers…" Lane leaned over the table to examine the fish sticks box and looked back up to her boyfriend. "Zack, these fish sticks have been in this box for two years. This was the box we got when we moved in here." Zack nervously looked to Lane and then dropped the fish sticks.

"Lane, we have to break up." The box slipped from Lane's fingers as she looked up at Zack.

"O-oh, okay…" she muttered, nervously tugging at her hair and sliding her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I understand." Fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, Lane turned and quickly exited the room.

Leaning against the counter unsure about him, Zack dropped his head in shame as he realized he was only running away. Running away from the something he was so frightened of.

Love.

>>

"Rory!" Lane toppled into Rory's foyer. Rory, having just exited her bedroom in her pajama's, a robe, and a poptart in her left hand, looked bewildered at her best friend turning up on her foyer floor.

"Lane…?" She asked, looking down at the raven-haired girl. Lane sighed and slumped against the wall.

"He hasn't even spoken to me. First he breaks up with me, and then he ignores me! I don't get this, Rory. What did I do?" Rory sighed and sat against the steps.

"You didn't do anything. He's just being stupid." Lane sighed and sat against her best friend.

"No, he's doing this… because I did something wrong." Rory slapped Lane's arm.

"Lane. Don't even think that." Lane growled deep in her throat.

"What other reason is there?"

"Talk to him."

"He can't stand me, but why?"

"Talk to him."

"Why didn't he give me an explanation?"

"Lane!" Lane jumped at Rory's raised voice. "Talk. To. Him." Lane blinked and sat back down.

"I can't…"

"What? Why not?"

"I love him."

Rory slumped down against the banister.

"That's why you need to talk to him."

"I can't. He obviously doesn't want me."

"Don't think that. Talk to him."

Lane slid down the steps and reluctantly walked to the door.

"Fine. But if my band breaks up, I'm blaming you."

"Just don't make me play the guitar." Lane smirked and was out the door with a curt 'goodbye'.

"What was all the yelling about?" Lorelai ambled down the steps, rubbing her eyes violently and tiredly.

"Lane and Zack are in love." Lorelai rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Oh, ok. Coffee?"

"Sounds good."

>>

Band practice became unnerving and repetitive. Lane would only talk when she needed to, and Zack rarely spoke. Of course, everyone else ignored them and continued on with their lives, but the break-up was eating both Zack and Lane alive. Lane couldn't take the fact that she hadn't been given any explanation as to why she and Zack had to be ended. Zack was trying to figure out a way to forget about Lane.

Band meeting was over, and Lane and Zack were left, yet again, alone in the room. Lane was slapping her drumsticks on the snare and Zack was tuning the few strings of his guitar.

"Why?" Zack turned to get a good look at Lane.

"Why what?" He asked, turning away and strumming his guitar again.

"Why'd you break up with me? I haven't seen any flimsy air-heads around here since then. And you and I haven't even spoken. Why?"

"You and I could never work. Your mother was insane." He stated flatly.

"My mother freaked you out once. And you got over it." Lane stood at the drum set, holding her drumsticks threateningly in her tightened fists. "And, you and she agreed about wearing glasses."

Zack still refused to look at Lane. Lane became irritated.

"At least look at me." Zack turned to glance at her. "Now tell me why."

"I already told you."

"Well I'm not buying it."

Zack sighed and stood to his feet angrily, holding his guitar by the neck.

"Can't you just drop it? Can't you leave it alone? I don't want to talk about it! I don't want us to talk about anything anymore! I want you to just leave me alone!" Zack was infuriated. Sadly, though, it wasn't at Lane, the person he was taking it out on. He was infuriated with himself. Because he was an idiot.

"No. I can't. Tell me whatever the hell is going on." Zack stared at her.

"You want me to tell you, huh? You're not going to leave me alone, are you? You're so stubborn!" He growled. Lane refused to back down and simply nodded her head firmly.

"I can't back down."

"Well I don't care! You're being stubborn, and annoying! All you ever do is talk! All you ever do is want to get to know me! Do you really want to know _why_ I can't do this anymore?" He paused and glared at her. "Lane Kim, I love you."

Lane froze in her stance, rigid and unnerved. Did Zack just say what she thought he said? No, he couldn't have. Zack never thought like that. Zack was never like that. Zack was Zack.

"What?" Zack slumped down into his seat.

"I love you." He sighed and threw his head into his hands. "Happy now?" Lane let out a sigh of relief, strode quickly toward the blond that was slumped in his seat and lifted his head.

"Very." And with that, she pressed her lips to his in a soft, chaste kiss. Zack instinctively pulled her into his arms and stood to his feet, holding her tightly to his body. Lane draped her arms around his torso and broke the kiss, resting her head against his chest.

"What does this mean?" He asked softly. Very gently, Lane looked up to Zack.

"I love you too."

>>

"That's good to hear." Pause. "Uh-huh. I told you to talk to him." Pause. "I'm very happy for you." Pause. "That's awesome." Pause. "Ok, bye Lane." Rory hung up her phone and flopped against her bed.

"What was that about?" Lorelai asked, spooning some ice cream into her mouth and staring at the Godfather that was playing on her TV.

"Lane and Zack finally told each other they loved each other." Rory stated, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh of relief.

"That's nice. Where's the hot fudge?"

"In the microwave, Ma."

-_Fin_-


End file.
